Sliding door structure



1957 T. T MATSUMOTO 33 7,

SLIDING DOOR STRUCTURE Filed Sept. 27, 1965 INVENTOR TOM T. MATSUMOTOPATENT AGENT United States Patent 3,357,480 SLIDING DOOR STRUCTURE TomT. Matsumoto, 826 S. Mary Ave, Sunnyvale, Calif. 94087 Filed Sept. 27,1965, Ser. No. 499,494 8 Claims. ((11. 160-4133) The present inventionrelates generally to door structures and more particularly to a slidingdoor structure arranged to control access through relatively largeopenings such as an entrance to a garage.

When access through a relatively large opening such as the entrance to agarage must be controlled, it becomes impractical to utilize a doorconsisting of a solid panel pivoted at one edge in a conventional mannerfor several reasons. In the first place, the requisite strength andweight of the structure become excessive and in the second place, thespace requirement for swinging of the door becomes quite large. As aconsequence, sliding of overhead doors have come into prevalent use forcontrolling access to relatively large openings such as the entrance toa garage. These also suffer from certain disadvantages. In the case oftherigid, sliding panel door, a large space must be available adjacentthe door opening, and in the case of the overhead door, relativelycomplex counterbalancing structures are nec'essary to facilitate bothraising and lowering of the relatively heavy structures.

Accordingly, it is a general object of the present invention to providea novelsliding door structure which is simple and inexpensive yet, atthe same time, is effective in its access control function. i

' More particularly, it is a feature of the invention to provide asliding door structure including a plurality of pivota'lly-joined slatssuspended for movement between rectilinearly aligned positions across anopening and a curled compact storage position adjacent the side of theopening.

Additionally, it is a feature to provide for suspension of the slatsfrom an overhead track which substantially entirely supports the weightof the door slats and thus eliminates the need for any supporting orguide track at the lower end of the slats.

In order to enable the requisite movement of the door slats, the trackincludes a rectilinear section across the top of the door opening and acurvilinear section at one side thereof.

.It is an additional feature of the invention to provide a particularlysimple mechanism for holding the door slats against displacement fromrectilinear alignment so as to accordingly preclude movement thereofalong the curvilinear portion of the suspending track. Thus, in effect,a simple mechanism is provided for locking the door in its closedposition as a substantially rigid structure.

It is a particularly significant feature of the invention to provide asliding door structure designed so as to minimize over-all weight, yetto provide an effective rigid closure for the door opening.

These as well as other objects and features of the invention will becomemore apparent from a perusal of the following description of thestructure illustrated in the accompanying drawing wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a sliding door structure embodying thepresent invention, portions of the structure being broken away to showinterior details thereof,

FIG. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view taken substantiallyalong line 22 of FIG. 1 illustrating details of the door slats andportions of the operating mechanism associated therewith, and

FIG. 3 is an enlarged transverse sectional view generally similar toFIG. 2, but illustrating the slats when displaced otu of the rectilinearalignment shown in FIG. 2.

With initial reference to FIG. 1, a sliding door structure indicatedgenerally by the numeral 10 is disposed in a position of closure acrossa door opening defined by a generally rectangular frame including twoside frame members 12-, 14 which rise substantially vertically from anunderlying floor and a substantially horizontal top frame member 16supported in bridging relationship thereover.

A track 20 for the sliding door includes a straight or rectilinearportion 20a which is attached in a substantially horizontal dispositionto the top frame member 16 to extend substantially entirely from oneside of the door frame to the other, and a curvilinear section 20bconstituting an extension of the rectilinear track section asspecifically illustrated in FIG. 1. Such curvilinear track section 20bis in the form of an inwardly curling spiral whose overall length issubstantially equivalent to the length of the rectilinear track section20a. Additional support for such curvilinear track section can beprovided by an open boxlike frame 22 as illustrated in FIG. 1 althoughother supporting structures can be utilized dependent upon theparticular installation. In cross-section, the track 20 preferablyconstitutes a rectangular tube having a central longitudinal slot 24 inits lower face.

A plurality of roller pairs 26 are arranged for movement longitudinallyof the track 20, each roller pair being supportedfor rolling movementalong the track on opposite sides of the central slot 24 whichaccommodate a suspension bracket 28 carried between the rollers andsupported thereby at its upper end, and in turn, connected at its lowerend to the upper extremity of a door slat 30 so as to suspend the latterin a substantially vertical disposition. The length of the suspendedslat 30 is such that its lower extremity is immedately adjacent to thefloor under the door opening. In transverse cross-section, as bestillustrated in FIG. 2, each slat 30 preferably takes the form of aU-channel of generally rectangular outline. Such configuration allowsthe. slats 30 to be made of light weight metal, but at the same time,meets the requirements for structural rigidity of the door. The freeends of the U-channels formed by adjacent slats 30 are hingedlyconnected as shown at 31, preferably in three positions, at the top,bottom and an intermediate level, thus allowing the adjacent door slatsto pivot away from the rectilinear aligned dispositions as shown inFIGS. 1 and 2 wherein the base of the Us are in co-planar relationshipdefining a smooth, front surface of the door, and the sides of the Usare in parallel, adjacent relationship. From such rectilinear alignment,the slats 30 can pivot relative to one another as the rollers 26 and theslats suspended there- 1 from are moved from the rectilinear tracksection 2011 onto the spiral track section 2012, such open dispositionbeing illustrated clearly in FIG. 3 whereat the sides of the U-channelsdepart from their parallel dispositions and are disposed at an acuteangle.

The slats 30 can be held in their rectilinear dispositions as shown inFIG. 2 and precluded from displacement into the FIG. 3 disposition by asimple locking mechanism which takes the form of a cable 32 that passesthrough aligned openings 34 in the sides of the U-channel slats atpositions adjacent the base of the U and thus relatively remote from thehinged juncture of the slats. The cable 32 is fixed at one end to asheave 36 on the slat 30 nearest the spiral track section 20!) on theright, and at its left end is fixed to a larger sheave 38 on the slat 30at the remote side of the door opening.

The sheaves 36, 38 are fixed to shafts 40, 42 mounted for rotation insimple bearings and carry similar latches 44, 46 arranged to enterconventional keepers 48, 50 on adjacent frame members 12, 22. A spring51 urges the latch 44 to an open unlocked position. A handle 52 issecured to the outwardly projecting end of one shaft 42 and a similarhandle" 54 is secured to its inner end so that the sheave 38 can beturned by a person standing inside or outside the door. If the innerhandle 54 is turned in a counter-clockwise direction as viewed in FIG.1, the cable 32 isW'Qu-nd on the sheave 38' and effects clockwiserotation of the sheave 36 so both latches 44, .6 enter thekeepers 48,50. Since the sheave 38 is larger, the cable 32 becomes taut to retainall of the slats in their rectilinearly aligned dispositions as shown inFIG. 2.

Asthe-sheave'3'6 rotates to the locked position, the disposition of thespring 51 passes over center of the sheave thus to resiliently hold thesheave and the latch 44 in its closed position. If'this same innerhandle 54 is turned in a clockwise directon, the latches 44', 46 areopened, the cable becomes slackand the slats 30 can then be moved ontothe curvilinear track section 2012, the total amount of slack beingsufficient toenable accommodation ofthe angular departure of the sidesof adjoining U-channels asillustrated in FIG. 3.

It is to be particularly observed that as the cable 32 is tightened, thedoor slats 30 are urged against one another and thus become asubstantially integrated, rigid structure which is held at its top inthe track 20 and thereunder by the taut cable. Thus, the structure isheld rigidly without the necessity for utilization of a lower tracksection in the floor.

It will be understood that many modifications and/or alternations canbemade in the structure as specifically described without departing fromthe spirit of the invention. Inparticular, it is to be pointed out thatthe curvilinear traclesec'tions-specifically described as a spiralconfiguration can have yet other configurations to meet particular;space requirements, so long as such configurations include somecurvilinear portion to preclude moven1e'rit-therearoundwhen the cable istaut as described. Accordingly, the foregoing detailed description is tobe construed-purely as-e'xemplary andnot in a limiting sense and theactual scope of the invention is to be indicated only By' reference tothe appended claims;

What is claimed is:

1. A sliding door' structure which comprises a track extending along asubstantially horizontal path extending rectilinearly' above the dooropening and curvilinearly adjacent one" side of the opening, a pluralityof slats movably suspended in substantially vertical and adjacentpositions from said track, and

means interconnecting said' slats and means for tensioning saidinterconnecting means for releasably holding said slatsagainstdisplacement from horizontal rectilinear alignment.

2. A sliding door structure-according to claim 1 wherein the curvilinearportion of said track has a spiral configuration.

3. Asliding door structure according to claim 1 which comprises meanshingedly connecting adjacent slats permitting relative pivotal motion ofadjacent slats about a substantially vertical axis.

4. A sliding door structure according to claim 1 wherein each of saidslats constitutes a U-channel member of generally rectangular outline,the free ends of the U-channels formed by adjacent slats being hingedlyconnected wherefore the sides of the U-channels can be pivoted betweenparallel adjacent dispositions and opened dispositions whereat the sidesof adjacent U- channels form an acute angle. 5. A sliding door structureaccording to claim 4 wherein said slat interconnecting means includes acable operatively interconnected between the end slats of the doorstructure, and said tensioning means urges sides of said U-channel slatsinto parallel relationship. 6. A sliding door structure according toclaim 5 which comprises means for securing each of said end slatsagainst horizontal movement in any direction, said means beingoperatively associated with said cable tensioning means so that said endslats are secured at the, same time that tension is applied to saidcable. 7. A sliding door structure adapted to close an opening formedwithin a door frame which comprises a track extending along asubstantially horizontal path extending rectilinearly above the dooropening arid curvilinearly adjacent one side of the opening, a pluralityof slats movably suspended in substantially vertical and adjacentpositions from said track, means hingedly connecting adjacent slats forpivotal motion about substantially a vertical axis, a cable extendingsubstantially horizontally across all of said slats, and means at theend of said cable for applying tension to the same for releasablyholding said slats against displacement from horizontal rectilinearalignment. 8. A sliding door structure according to claim 7 whichcomprises latch means for releasably connecting opposite ends of saiddoor structure to said frame in response to tensioning of said cable.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS- 1,110,219 9/1914 Metzgar 160201x 1,621,717 3/1927 Grant et al. 160- 133' 1,835,644 12/1931 Grassi.

1,899,062 2/1933 Stefien 160-199X 2,102,086 12/1937 Mueller 160 2292,134,983 11/1938 Nottingham 160201 2,336,660 12/1943 West 160 2012,610,681 9/1952 Schaap. 2,684,714 7/1954 Corey 160--190 2,726,91112/1955 Mason.

2,934,139 4/1960 Wardlawetal 16026 DAVID J. WILLIAMOWSKY, PrimaryExaminer.

HARRISON R. MOSELEY, Examiner.

DENNIS L. TAYLOR, Assistant Examiner.

1. A SLIDING DOOR STRUCTURE WHICH COMPRISES A TRACK EXTENDING ALONG ASUBSTANTIALLY HORIZONTAL PATH EXTENDING RECTILINEARLY ABOVE THE DOOROPENING AND CURVILINEARLY ADJACENT ONE SIDE OF THE OPENING, A PLURALITYOF SLATS MOVABLY SUSPENDED IN SUBSTANTIALLY VERTICAL AND ADJACENTPOSITIONS FROM SAID TRACK, AND MEANS INTERCONNECTING SAID SLATS ANDMEANS FOR TENSIONING SAID INTERCONNECTING MEANS FOR RELEASABLY HOLDINGSAID SLATS AGAINST DISPLACEMENT FROM HORIZONTAL RECTILINEAR ALIGNMENT.